Reprieve
by Aaerowyn
Summary: Hillwood has taken a turn for the worst with a surge in street crime and lack of public education. Among the fray, Helga finds herself battling with her inner demons who threaten to get her expelled while Arnold comes to terms with his own depression. Can the two of them set aside their differences to help each other or will Helga's inner flame burn them both out? Post FTI.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello all, Aaerowyn here. This is my first fan fiction based on a few ideas I had floating around in my head that I wanted to get out so please be kind with your feedback and/or reviews. I wanted to conduct a story about Arnold and Helga turning their relationship from frenemies to good allies with a possible romantic future. The setting of this story is set during middle school where Hillwood has become significantly darker, either that or the children are growing up and realizing the city isn't as cut out as it used to be. Hope y'all enjoy it :)._

**Chapter 1**

A gentle breeze swept throughout the enclosed office causing papers and blinds to lightly rattle in its wake. Beams of sunlight swayed across the canopy of the ceiling, lightly fading with the ever growing prediction of a shower. The overcast clouds of silver streamed outside, covering the sun in a blanket that threatened to spill rain at any moment. Thankfully the humidity outside was kept at bay with the air conditioning, at least until she was to vacate her psychologist's company and once again brave the elements without appropriate shelter or cover. Now officially eleven years old, Helga Pataki had begun to flower into her first stages of puberty. With it came the unpleasant cramps and pains associated with breast growth as well as the churning in her lower abdominals at the end of every month. Her periods were quite heavy and sporadic, causing her mood swings and anger to intensify over the past couple of years and leaving very little to tolerate about her. Even her friendship with Phoebe had taken a beating as her frustration made the meek girl fear for Helga's well-being…and if there was one thing Helga despised, it was being pitied.

The sound of whirling fans filled her ears in a therapeutic fashion, steering the anxious thoughts away and giving a short moment of reprieve while she waited for the doctor's verdict. Not only had her anger frightened her friends, but it had begun to worry her. Helga was much more irritable with the feeling of anxiety becoming quite frequent in her daily life. Often would she lash out at anyone close enough to be the brunt of her verbal assaults, even so much as her teachers who had begun referring her back to her former psychologist whom had helped her so well in the past. Dr Bliss had been expecting Helga to return, but not to realise that her relation with her classmates had gotten worse. After an hour of discussion, Dr Bliss had formulated her summary on Helga's situation and was filling out the forms at her desk for impending approval. The random scribbling of ink onto paper was faintly heard over the fans gyrating as Helga finally opened her eyes to gaze at the back of the psychologists' chair.

"So, what's it going to be, Doc? Am I really going insane or is it just all these hormones affecting me?" Helga inquired as she propped herself up with both elbows, giving the female doctor a sidelong glance. Dr Bliss let out a chuckle as she finished signing the necessary forms and turned around in her leather chair to face her young client.

"No, you're not going insane, Helga. In fact, what you're going through right now is very normal for a girl your age. It just seems that your hormones might be fluctuating and giving you unnecessary mood swings." Glancing down at the forms in her hand, Dr Bliss stood and walked over to sit upon the nearest couch next to where Helga lay. "What I can do for you is write a reference to your local doctor: who will give you the prescription to help you out with your hormone imbalance. All you need to do is get your parents to sign the permission slip."

Helga rolled her eyes and took the forms as they were handed to her from across the table before shoving them into her backpack disquietly. "Yeah, like Miriam would even be conscious enough to remember her own signature." The preteen snorted as she met Dr Bliss' concerning gaze. She knew about Helga's less than functional home life with recalling the former tales about her mother being a struggling alcoholic and a narcissistic father.

"I am sure you will be able to get one of them to sign, Helga. Just be timely, because the sooner you get that signature, the sooner you'll be able to go to school without getting in further trouble."

Helga glanced down at the crumpled sheets in her backpack and frowned; the doctor was right. Her grades had slipped slightly and her participation in class had been less than positive. Practically everyone in the sixth grade had begun to avoid her like she was a walking time bomb whose fuse was every exposed wire. Being further alienated by her peers for her behaviour and being the first to develop into puberty, she felt lonelier than ever. PS 118 had converted into an elementary and middle school because of the sudden growth of the city. Ever since the neighbourhood had been saved from Sheck, the story had gone national and caused a boom of interstate travelers and tourists to flock to Hillwood, both increasing its population and its crime rate.

Now, it was a growing metropolis with its schools being pushed to accommodate the expanding number of students flocking to its doors. Not all young people were able to get in and now with the crime rate beginning to get out of control, street gangs of rebelling youth now claimed the inner suburbs and downtown, making it a dangerous area to trespass or travel to.

Helga knew if she wasn't able to keep herself in check, that she might risk getting suspended or even expelled and the last thing she needed was to end washed up on the streets with those other rejects of society. The blonde girl frowned and turned her gaze back to the doctor who was busy filling out the last details of their meeting.

"I'll try and see what I can do, Doc. But I hope you're right..." Shifting herself from off the couch Helga grasped her backpack and threaded an arm through one of its straps to heave it onto her shoulder. Dr Bliss lowered her pen and peered over the top of her glasses to survey the young juvenile.

"I hope so too, Helga. If not, you still have three appointments to keep with me. You'll eventually get the help you need." Dr Bliss replied with a reassuring smile. Helga offered a faint smile in return, though with a hint of uncertainty. It had been somewhat comforting to see Dr Bliss again, even if she herself didn't want to admit it and wished it was under better circumstances. Part of her felt that she had let the doctor down. The sessions of therapy in the past with her had not gone unchecked but now it seemed all of it was coming undone and fruitless in the light of these new and confusing issues. With a wave of her hand, Helga turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her with a heavy sigh. The hour spent there felt like only a few minutes and whatever point of relaxation she had reached while in Dr Bliss' care was soon forgotten as she spotted the drizzle of rain beginning to pound the pavement just beyond the corridor.

"Great... just what I needed." The young female groaned as she held her backpack over her head and stomped out into the rain, beads of water already beginning to slick her back. Still wearing her pink jumper and white undershirt, little had changed about her attire other than her sneakers and freshly pierced ears which she had gotten done for her 11th birthday as a gift from Olga. She turned and began to stride quickly toward the bus stop, solely wishing that the bus would actually be on time and save her from the punishment of having cold clothes stick to her skinny figure. Her thoughts stirred toward her family and wondered why neither of them could give her a proper rain jacket.

Miriam's drinking habits had become more frequent and it wasn't uncommon for Helga to find her mother passed out on the floor or in other random locations within the house. Her mother seemed hell-bent to descend toward a path of self-destruction with no intention of rescuing herself. Big Bob's epiphany had made him a little more consciously aware of his neglect toward his family and had kept the yurt as he so promised. His business, however, still came first and was always the first topic brought up at any conversation. He tried to take some notice toward Miriam's drinking problem and had even proposed for her to attend some alcoholic anonymous classes which Miriam agreed to but stopped going to after three weeks. Sometimes, Big Bob would not come home until very late hours at night where Helga would be awoken to his heavy shuffles echoing up the stairs. Helga had the uneasy feeling he was getting himself and his business into issues that were kept quiet and under the rug for good reason but his success meant that the roof over her head remained stable, even if it wasn't exactly what she entirely wished for. Realistically, she was quite a lucky young girl compared to the less fortunate and she tried to remind herself that whenever she felt negatively toward her housing conditions. Olga had gone on to work with the humanitarian services in Alaska and often came to visit. Her older sister also did part-time volunteering at the youth centre where she helped vulnerable young people get in touch with their musical side to lift their spirits. Their relationship was still somewhat strained and Helga continued to revel in keeping her distance away from her overbearing and confident sister, although she would engage in sending her letters whenever it was asked of her or when she would receive one in the mail. She had to admit that despite their differences, Olga was quite admirable; knowing full well the level that their parents pushed her to reach.

Seeing a hue of white and yellow come into view, Helga stepped out from the bus stop and shook her free hand viciously through the air to get the driver's attention. It was when the hazy orange writing of 'Out of Service' came into view did she realize it was too late as the large vehicle simply roared past, causing the nearby pothole filled with rain water to be conveniently emptied onto her. Throwing her arms out, the preteen glared at the back of the bus as it continued down the street until the rain obscured it out of sight. Letting out a guttural groan, Helga stomped her foot into the pavement and shook her fist high into the air.

"Can't you see when someone is standing here, you idiot?!" She screeched in anger before leaning over to wipe her face down on her jumper. Thankfully, her backpack wasn't too drenched as her body had taken the brunt of the damage, meaning the important documents within remained intact. Her pigtails laid flaccid against her shoulders as she turned to trudge down the walkway before a warm shadow came to hover over her. "Huh?" She questioned as she glanced up, her movement forcing to a stop upon seeing the yellow fins of an umbrella spreading above her like a lotus.

"Are you okay?" asked a familiar husky voice, one that still caused her heart to leap at her ribcage.

"Uhh…" was all that Helga could say as she momentarily forgot about her anger, her eyes roving down until they came into contact with verdant green. Arnold.

Being one of their younger classmates little had changed for him other than his height. He had grown an inch but still remained on the shorter side, living fortunately or unfortunately up to his surname. His green eyes that reminded Helga so much of ripe jellybeans peered at her, holding a look of uncertainty. During the years and introduction of Helga's hormones, her bullying and mistreatment toward him and others had made her ties with Arnold to be shaky and awkward. The confession atop the FTI building had somehow blossomed Arnold's curiosity, allowing her to catch him glancing at her stiffly every so often or when a certain romantic topic was brought up. Her outbursts of anger at school had at first compelled him want to try and help her, much as his ways were. It wasn't until he realized however, that her anger now transferred to the teachers as well as to her best friend did he understand that perhaps it was out of his hands. Helga had always been an enigma to Arnold, a puzzle that constantly changed and altered whenever he felt he was finding some truth to the matter. Despite his doubts, he still yearned to be somewhat there for her, even if it meant her swearing at him and witnessing her horrible tantrums. Helga had gotten into several fist fights at school, resulting in her parents being summoned and leaving her classmates to gossip about her ever increasing hostility. They had given her the title of 'crazy', but now she was going to prove them wrong. However, Helga was pulled from her thoughts when she saw Arnold raise a brow inquisitively and repeat his previous inquiry while shielding them both from the rain.

"Are you okay?"

"Uh...of course I'm okay, football head! Why wouldn't I be okay?" Helga snarled in response as she placed her hands on her hips and lowered her brow defensively. Arnold's questioning look turned to one of agitation as he noted how clearly soaked her clothing was. Not that he expected her to admit she needed an umbrella, of course.

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were supposed to be at baseball practice." Arnold asked brazenly. Though her temperament had become worse, Arnold had developed into being more assertive when it came to tolerating Helga and her mood swings. He was still considered 'Mr Nice Guy' but wasn't so quick to back down if she put up a struggle.

"Not that it's any of your beeswax Arnoldo, but if you –must- know, I was ordered by Principle Wartz to go see Dr Bliss again to get 'evaluated'." Helga quoted with her fingers sarcastically. "Annnnd as it turns out, now I have to go see a doctor." Arnold's brow raised in interest.

"A doctor? Does that mean you're really sick, Helga?" Helga scoffed dryly at his remark.

"You wish geek bait. But as it turns out, no, I'm not 'insane'. I'm just uptight because of all the shit my life seems to be throwing at me. Turns out, me becoming a woman can't go unheeded without some necessary drama and painkillers." She turned away from him and threw her backpack onto her shoulder with a wet smack.

Arnold simply stood there comprehending what she just said. He was still quite a dense boy but lessons in sex education and life class had fed him enough information for him to realize that females were an entirely different species in their own right. Helga cast a glare over her shoulder at him as she began to trudge back into the rain, the wet pavement causing her soaked shoes to squelch with each step.

"So you can go tell Princess and her gossip minions that I'm not some loon who's losing her mind after all. Yeah, that's right. I know you talk to them, bucko. So you better stay the heck away from me, otherwise I'll make sure those rumours come true and I'll shove your face through the meat grinder during recess!"

Arnold's agitated glare returned as he watched Helga Pataki stomp off through the rain with jagged elbows and her words of spite ringing in his ears. It was true that most of their grade, not just their classmates, had thought that she was beginning to become a loose cannon. Tossing between the constant bickering, swearing, bad attitude, verbal abuse, threats and actual physical violence, it was healthy to assume that something was going quite wrong with the female bully. Her sarcasm still remained as healthy as ever but her oppression upon those that dared to oppose her and even those that didn't granted her a bad reputation. Arnold turned his attention to the skies, the rain beginning to wear down as small sparks of sunlight began to trickle through the heavy clouds. Much of what had happened before the FTI incident made sense to him now: like the random times he found her mumbling and swooning in a soft voice behind a trash can or wall or why she had decided to bully him the most out of everyone in their class back during their elementary days. Or maybe even how she threatened him but had never carried it out. His usually placid features furrowed at the thought as he continued to peer skyward, the chirping of birds ringing as the rain and sun coalesced. He only wondered, why does she of all people continued to make him doubt in his ability to help and understand people? Why did her storm continued to rain when all others seemed to pass and move on?

Why did girls have to be so confusing?


	2. Chapter 2

_Woo, thanks Ajia or Jiffyfrose for proof reading my work. You're a legend. Thankyou very much for your kind reviews and remember to let me know what you think of the story as it continues. I'll be drawing a cover image for this story soon and will be uploading it to my deviantart. Thankyou in advance for reading and responding. :)_

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**Chapter 2**

"Ow! Who threw that?!" Harold yelped as he rubbed his eye with a scowl: a result of having the tip of a paper plane fly directly into his pupil. It was no surprise that most of their classmates had remained in the same unit as they had matured. Only a select few were shifted into a higher class because of their impressive academic record or their renowned talents. Phoebe had been the first to be transferred followed closely behind by Brainy who had shown inspiring grades despite being a mute. Arnold had also been given the opportunity to move to a different class, but chose to remain behind as he felt behoved to stay with his brother from another mother: otherwise known as Gerald Johanssen.

Helga sat perched at one of the smaller tables of the cafeteria with both feet occupying the other chair, her brow transfixed in a constant glare. Her stomach churned painfully from lack of food as she eyed the chaos that commenced every lunch break. She was quite used to dealing with an unproductive diet during school hours, although it often left her energy levels drained. However after seeing the daily special part of her felt relieved she didn't have to consume it. Bodies bumped into each other as students, lined up impatiently for their meal. A blackboard displaying the various names of foods and prices set above the counter. The daily special was bluntly labelled as 'protein mince' with many of the students noticing the quotation marks uneasily.

"That's it! Whoever you are better run pretty good because when I find out who you are, I'm gonna pound ya into pulp!" Harold bellowed over the bustling noise of the lunchroom as he ripped off the piece of paper he found glued to his back that had "I stink!" smeared in black ink. A cackling student quickly ran out of the room with his mates in toe, causing Harold to exhale through his nostrils harshly like an enraged bull. He was still considerably bulky compared to his peers, but since the years had passed, very few people were afraid of him. The tables had turned and he was often finding himself at the mercy of other bullies who picked on him. His cowardice behaviour and constant referral to his mother whenever he ran away from a disturbing event had granted him the label of 'momma's boy'; and now was subjected to constant ridicule and victimisation. Long gone were the days when Harold used to rule the playground, instead being replaced with days going to regular counselling sessions and weight loss boot camps. Stinky and Sid had remained loyal friends with Harold and often gave him the support he needed throughout his vulnerable moments. Stinky's growth spurt made him one of the tallest boys in school and had landed him a handy position on the school's basketball team. Stinky had also managed to date Lila for a small period of time, but was dumped not long after Lila confessed that she still had secret feelings for Arnold's cousin, Arnie. Sid had grown quite a bit in height as well and had become a lanky athletic kid. He still held a passion for frog catching and had even helped set up the tadpole tank in the biology room with great eagerness.

Harold stormed out of the room with the offensive note in hand, causing the swinging doors to bang open loudly and turn a few heads upon his exit.

"Harold! Wait up!" Sid called as both he and Stinky ran after their upset friend. Arnold peered up from his food to pass a momentary glance as the threesome left the room as well as a glimpse at Helga as she picked her nails before turning his attention back to his best friend whom was currently inspecting the daily special suspiciously.

"Man, what do they put in this stuff? Horse meat?" Gerald pondered as he prodded the mystery meat with his fork and stuck his tongue out with disgust. The budget cuts on the school because of stretched funding had decreased the quality of the daily feed and it hadn't gone unnoticed with much of the peers preferring to bring in food from home. Gerald had finally managed to gather the courage to ask Phoebe out over a year ago and hadn't looked back since. Phoebe and Gerald have both taken their relationship quite seriously for people their age, and had set a good example for their peers to follow. However, Phoebe's busy schedule hasn't allowed her and Gerald to spend much time alone together and so they organised to meet up after school whenever it was possible. They haven't gone out many times, instead choosing to wait until they reached their senior years in high school before allowing themselves to get deeper into their relationship. Arnold, though happy for his friends sharing happiness together, had found himself being the third wheel in many situations. He had nothing against Phoebe, as she was a pleasant and intelligent young woman, but Gerald's attention could only go one way.

"Are you even listening, man?" Gerald asked in a slightly irritated tone as his fist clenched a little too tightly around his fork, slightly shaken in anxiety.

"Huh? No. Sorry Gerald." Arnold apologised, grinning a little goofily at his friend who only rolled his eyes and placed a hand over his face.

"I just know this is gonna end badly." Gerald groaned, causing Arnold to become slightly concerned. Gerald had become a little more irritable as he had matured the past two years, partly because of having an actual girl in his life with whom he had romantic connections to.

"What do you mean, Gerald? What's so bad that has gotten you worried so much?" Arnold inquired, his eyes never leaving Gerald's face. Gerald, on the other hand, simply sighed and allowed his limbs and body to flop hopelessly.

"I don't know, man. I know we're eleven…but you know…I mean, even Wolfgang asked that girl out on a date and that was when he was ten! " He cleared his throat and leaned forward, propping his elbows upon the table and placing his round chin into an open palm. "I know I've taken her out before, but this is completely new. There's a difference between study dates and hanging out than inviting her to come spend the actual weekend camping in the woods." Gerald let out another sigh, and pushed away his tray of processed food. "I'm not even hungry anymore…" He stated glumly.

Arnold cast his glance up to steal a look at Helga, whom was currently engaging in a heated conversation between two seventh graders whom were trying to steal the chair she was using as a foot rest, before turning to solve Gerald's dilemma.

"Well, why don't you treat it as a break from school rather than a date? Maybe you could use that biology assignment as a way of suggestion so that you can spend time with her without it seeming too personal?" Gerald's eyes lit up at Arnold's proposal, his head lifting from his hands as his back straightened.

"You mean… that Ichthyology assignment about salmon migration paths? Arnold! That's a brilliant idea!" Gerald flashed a wide grin and raised his hand for their unique handshake across the table which Arnold met enthusiastically, their thumbs wriggling together.

A sudden loud smack was heard within the cafeteria, followed by a bang, and the clatter of plastic cups and cutlery upon the floor. One of the seventh graders now laid against the table covered in the daily special with a bent metal food tray encasing his head. Helga Pataki stood over him, her fists raised in the direction of the other seventh grader whom had begun to back pedal toward the cafeteria exit. The fiery blonde grit her teeth, as she advanced upon him, causing the boy's eyes to widen as he made a sudden turn and dashed toward the door.

"Make one more comment about me being sassy. Come on, I dare you! Take my seat! In fact, I insist! That's what you wanted, wasn't it? That's what you harassed me over, wasn't it, you fat lummox!" Helga jabbed her fist into the already injured boy's diaphragm, causing him to keel over and land in a crumpled heap upon the floor. All eyes in the eatery now laid upon Helga as she continued to brim with anger. Swiping her backpack from under her table, she then stomped over to the cafeteria doors and shoved two younger females aside before crashing the doors open which caused the wood to bang open and close loudly.

"Mmm mmm mmm. You'd think they'd be smarter than that. I mean, picking on Helga G. Pataki is one thing but doing it when she's on her rags is an entirely different ballgame. I swear, that girl is losing her mind. " Gerald mused as he scooped up the last mouthful of mystery meat which had been soaked in ketchup to cover up the horrific aftertaste. Gerald had little fondness for Helga, especially since her bad attitude had worsened tenfold.

"She isn't losing her mind…she's just going through a hard time at the moment." Arnold responded haggardly, his eyes transfixed upon the pigeons pecking the ground outside.

"Hard time? Man, everyone is fighting their own battles. What gives her the right to go about stomping and moaning, really? She's gonna get herself kicked out of school if she keeps overreacting and fighting with the teachers and frankly, the sooner the better. She's getting coo-coo." Gerald wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and picked up his lunch tray as he rose to his feet, his eyes casting down to catch a hint of Arnold's glare. "What?" Gerald questioned, causing Arnold's irritated gesture to fade into one of indifference.

"Nothing, I'm just tired of listening to people badmouth her. She's really not that bad… when she wants to be. I just wish she'd stop hurting people when all she really does is hurt herself."

Meanwhile, Helga had locked herself into one of the cubicles in the girl's bathroom. She held her knees to her chest as she wrapped some toilet paper around a bleeding knuckle, her eyelids still tight with rage. She had gone into a fit of rage and had pummelled the interior of the cubicle before she had cut her knuckle on an exposed screw. She decided to wait until her bleeding had stopped before heading back out, not to mention avoid any teachers that may be looking for her because of the recent incident. Helga let out a sigh as she cast a glance at the ceiling, the light above soiled in the bodies of dead insects that had gotten trapped behind its glass. She felt like she could relate to those bugs, being trapped within herself and slowly rotting and decaying. Part of Helga wondered if she would continue to let her fear and anger control her life until it would be all that she knew. She dismissed the dark thoughts with a snort, her brow lowering derisively. Most kids didn't have to put up with this hormone and self-discovery crap until they were in their teens for cripes sake! Letting her bandaged hand droop, her fingers fought for entrance into her pink jumper and braced the touch of cool metal - the only solace she knew. The young adolescent pulled out a golden heart-shaped locket; a charm she had been carrying with her for as long as she could remember. Helga stared into the photo displayed of a young boy; a pair of dreamy verdant eyes staring back at her that caused her own gaze to soften.

"Oh Arnold," she cooed, her back leaning against the cubicle wall. "Why do I keep doing this to myself? One day I'm fine, and then the next I blow up like some kind of chemical explosion only that the chemicals are replaced with some kind of god forsaken hormone! Why must my life be constantly besieged by dilemmas and predicaments that always land me in trouble?" She sighed as her fingers caressed over her beloved's brow, imagining what it may be like to soothe her sore fingers through his hair, his warm lips upon her skin, kissing away her torment and pain. "How I yearn to one day be as calm as you, my love. To confront all issues with tranquil resolve...to bear life's issues with confidence and clarity…" She raised the locket to her bosom in comfort, cradling it against her heart as her eyes surrendered and closed. Images of the boy with the cornflour hair danced before her, his calming stare and soft smile allowing her heart to steady its beat.

"Helga Pataki, please come see Principal Wartz in the principal's office immediately. Repeat, Helga Pataki, come to the principal's office immediately." The P.A system called out with the monotone voice of its chief of importance. Helga grumbled as her fantasy faded away, fingers soothing the golden border of her locket in a calming manner.

"Well, hair boy. Hopefully it's not going to be the death sentence of my childhood education…" She mumbled to her muse as she placed the locket back inside her jumper and walked out of the cubicle, her eyes catching a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror. She pinched at the flakes of rice scattered in her hair before flicking them across the room. Her hormones at least had begun to give her some feminine charm to admire with a slight curve to her hips starting to form as well as two healthy growing breasts. The growth of pimples sprouting along her forehead, however, had further burdened her resentment and unlike the other girls in her grade she had not outgrown her unibrow. Pataki blood was once told to be potent and now she bore witness to all her bodily changes that seemed to be the source of most of her life's problems. Why she had been chosen to be cursed like this was beyond her.

With backpack over her shoulder and a scowl at her own reflection, she wandered into the corridor and past the cafeteria where the administration block lingered. Old memories resurfaced as she encountered the old classrooms and halls where she used to spend time as a child. PS 118 had expanded quickly and had even forced demolition of the building across the road so that the street could be altered to accommodate the updated establishment. Presently, the school consisted of two sections: one for the elementary school students and the other for the middle school students where both sectors contained their own cafeteria, first aid office, toilets and outdoor areas. They shared the locker areas as well as the gym, announcement hall, and connecting corridors that allowed easy access between the two sectors. The administration and teachers' lounge was still located in the same area of the old PS 118, making it easy to find. Helga came to stop outside the principal's green door and knocked upon its window impatiently. The sound of internal mumbling was heard as the door opened seemingly by itself in an ominous manner.

"Come in, Miss Pataki." Principal Wartz called from behind his desk. She walked in to discover the principal with a plastic animal in both hands and an open book with pop-up cardboard silhouettes of trees upon his desk. He calmly placed the toys and book into one of his draws and motioned to the chair just in front of him, his gaze becoming detached and serious.

Today was going to be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Hello guys, I'm back! Been moving houses and waiting for internet to get online. Sorry I've been away but don't worry! i made sure to finish this chapter here for you. Funny thing in this story is, -spoiler alert- the pimple incident actually happened in real life except the girlfriend of the guy ended up dumping him on the spot. Explosive acne does happen and it's disgusting. I've witnessed it myself. anyway hopefully you guys enjoy this chapter and hope to have the next one up soon. Let me know of the stories progress with a review! :)

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**Chapter 3**

Flipping through the evening television stations, Helga discovered there was very little worth watching with the daily news, soap operas and afternoon cooking shows choking every channel. She tossed the remote onto the coffee table and kicked back into the soft cushions of the lounge to summarise over the events that transpired during her lunch break. The two seventh grade boys had demanded that she move elsewhere as there was nowhere else for them to sit and as older students, they had right of way. After she refused, they then made snide comments and tried to remove the chair forcefully but were met with little success. She finally lost her short temper after they remarked about her sassy behaviour and socked the closest boy's tray of food directly into his face.

Principal Wartz was less than forgiving about her attitude and didn't accept her explanation of the situation, simply telling her that she was too stubborn to see what she had done wrong. He had granted an internal suspension and an ugly black smear against her permanent record; the matter only worsening when she discovered the two seventh graders got away punishment-free.

"You will have to see the error of your ways and very soon Miss Pataki because this will be the last straw." His stubby fingers shifted his glasses onto his nose as he read about the formal complaints made against her. "Verbal abuse to classmates and staff, physical violence, vandalism…" Helga's eyes widened at the accusations and came to stand so that her upper body leaned over his desk as she pleaded her reasoning.

"That wasn't vandalism, Principal Wartz! I tried to explain to you before that the locker was assigned to me and I was simply trying to move it during your school renovations so there wouldn't be any conflict when the newbies came in! And because you wouldn't let me now I'm stuck with carrying this dopy bag all the time simply because you can't provide storage for your students!"

"Enough!" Principal Wartz bellowed, his hands clasping the desk as he stood up to size her down. "I've had it with your excuses Miss Pataki. I don't care if that locker was assigned to you or not, it was still considered school property and –you- damaged it! This is a communal environment and even if you were the owner of said locker for many years, you will eventually understand that there comes a time to move on and accept responsibility. Facing consequences is part of growing up, and I'll take no part in supplying such an unlawful student with fresh supplies until you've changed your ways and made positive progress! Do I make myself clear?" The older male narrowed his eyes as he stared the fiery blonde down, her own piercing blue eyes glaring back. Eventually her posture began to submit as she lowered herself back into the chair to cross her arms over her body defensively.

"Yeah, crystal clear..." She muttered dryly as her teeth held the end of her tongue to keep her sarcastic remarks at bay. She just wanted this day to be over and retreat to the solitude of her room. Was that too much to ask?

"What was that?" The principal feigned, his head lightly tilting toward her as he awaited her improvisation.

"I said you were crystal clear, sir." She repeated sternly though the dryness lingered in her tone.

"Good. Now, I hope your meeting with Dr Bliss went well. I heard from her that you should be starting your treatment soon. We usually don't enforce young people, such as you, in taking medication but after the Gammelthorpe incident…well…policy needed to change."

Helga briefly recalled the time back in the fifth grade when Curly Gammelthorpe had missed out on becoming a candidate for class president. The finals had been held between Gerald and none other than the gossip queen herself, Rhonda Lloyd. However, during the debate, Curly had stormed onto the stage and attempted to assassinate Gerald with a kitchen knife as a way to remove Rhonda's competition. It was painfully obvious that even before the incident occurred, that Curly was dangerously obsessed with Rhonda and had stalked her even after school hours. Thankfully, the teachers had managed to corner the troubled child and disarm him but since then, PS 118 hadn't been the same. They had been less forgiving toward potentially hazardous antics and had installed security cameras in the main corridors and communal areas as well as enforcing the occasional bag and locker check if a student was suspected of hiding dangerous material. Even April Fools Day had been banned from being celebrated in fear that it may cause someone to take a joke one step too far.

"Yeah, funny how no one knew what ended up happening to him. It's like the freak just disappeared off the edge of the world." Helga remarked as she waited against the chair's armrest for her release. Principal Wartz regarded her for a moment before turning his attention back to the open folder before him.

"That is…confidential. Just know that the matter has been handled and taken care of. I expect you to get your situation and your tongue under control, Miss Pataki. I would hate to expel a student that was once considered one of our most promising."

Helga was returned to the present moment by the sound of a moan coming from upstairs closely followed by the tapping of footsteps.

"Honey, have you seen the tabasco sauce? I am sure I saw it last in the bathroom …" Miriam's voice slurred as her weary face came to peer around the corner with her glasses askew. Helga twisted herself upon the couch to glimpse at her mother in a tiresome manner. She was quite fed up with her mother's impotence in gathering information for herself.

"No mother. But maybe you should go check the top shelf since that's where Bob always puts your misplaced 'supplies'." Miriam turned around and swayed into the kitchen where she spotted the top shelf and opened its doors.

"Aha! There you are. How these things keep sneaking off without me knowing, I'll never know." She uttered to herself as she leant up to close the shelf doors with promise object in hand. Helga unfolded the crushed bundle of forms in her hand and approached her mother hesitantly; hoping Miriam would comply without too much curiosity or fuss. The last thing she needed was a half-drunk Miriam questioning Helga about her behavioural issues.

"Mom…? Can I talk to you about something? It's…kinda important." Helga's pupils darted away to avoid eye contact as she rubbed her sleeve warily. Miriam, however, didn't seem to pay any attention as she had popped open the lid on the tabasco and dripped its contents inside the blender. Helga waited for a response before clearing her throat again and moving closer, her hand fishing out for a pen from atop the microwave. Miriam was now emptying a few shots of vodka into the concoction, oblivious to her daughter's request.

"Mom." Helga addressed her mother again, this time more forcefully as her gaze darkened in anger. She shifted the blender out of the way and slapped the forms down before her bewildered parent, her fingers almost jabbing the pen into her mother's nose. "I need you to sign this. It's for school." Miriam blinked down at her daughter before turning her attention toward the forms, her slim fingers brushing her chin.

"Hmm…maybe…maybe you should get your father to sign, sweetie. You know he's better at these things than I am." Miriam excused with a slight sympathetic tone. She was aware of her hung over state and signing something important while she could barely make out the ingredients for her home-made fix wouldn't be in the best interests of her daughter. However, unbeknownst to Miriam, Helga simply didn't care. Helga grit her teeth and waved the butt of the pen once more toward Miriam's face to keep her attention.

"I would get Bob to sign but he's been too busy with work to actually spare any time doing anything for anyone else. Come on, Miriam. All you need to do is sign your signature below. It's not hard to the draw the pen across the paper you know. Then you can go back to making your Bloody Mary in peace and you won't have to deal with me trying to annoy you with this friggin' pen."

Miriam considered silently for a moment before removing the pen from Helga's fingers and squinting down at the forms below. Her slightly hazy eyes did little to help her read the text so she simply lowered her hand and flicked the pen across the bottom of the form. As soon as she had finished, Helga then snatched up the papers and left the room without saying a single word of gratitude or thanks. After a few quick bounds up the stairs, she slammed the door to her bedroom closed behind her and sighed with exasperation as she flung herself onto the bed head first. She passed a momentarily glance toward the closet door from where her face was mushed against the dusty pink sheets. Formerly being the barrier that once protected her darkest secrets, the closet now only holding the volumes of her past manifestos. Helga had stopped creating shrines years ago and writing poetry felt impossible. Instead, she chose to channel Arnold's inspiration into music during rare outbursts of creativity. She lacked the money to take proper lessons, instead teaching herself to play the guitar and its chords by ear to songs she felt were easy to replicate. Her puberty blues had affected her ability to handle her emotions in a creative way, instead channeling them via her body only to release them in an aggressive and harmful manner. The last time she had taken the time to sit down and focus on a poem had been around eight months ago, coincidentally around the same time when Arnold started to act a little distant and forlorn. Helga never knew the true reason behind his somewhat odd behaviour but estimated it had something to do with his parents or about her less than appropriate confession atop the FTI building.

Whatever the cause, it had made her muse visibly more sullen and not as willing to intervene and help their peers as he once had. The fact Arnold's once bright personality was twisting into something more melancholy made Helga ache and as much as she yearned to help her football headed love god she founded herself too deep within her own emotional trauma to actually do any good towards the situation. As a quote she read once said '_if you cannot help yourself, then how to you expect to help others?_' Kicking off her shoes and jumper with a sigh, she climbed under the sheets of her bed to mull over her thoughts and escape the world for a short time. At least she had something to look forward to now she had the signature required to go and see the doctor. Her eyes clenched shut as she tightened the sheets around her body, the inner flame of hope that was ever dwindling inside her reigniting at the prospect that finally she would be given enough reprieve to uncover Arnold's distress…and possibly even help him in whatever problems that affected him.

The weekend had arrived in another heat wave as Helga awoke early to the sounds of fire engines to go and see about her prescription. She stole a half-eaten slice of pizza from the fridge and took a bus to downtown where the doctor's office was located on the fourth floor of a sky rise tower in the middle of town square. In the distance, she could faintly make out a group of young gang members vandalising a fire hydrant to access the cool water before stepping inside the large building to ride the elevator.

"Oh, Miss Pataki, It's good to see you." Welcomed a short man with black bowl-cut hair and adorned in the usual white waist length coat that all doctors religiously wore. The piercing white walls and sterile setting of the waiting room gave it that unearthly clean feel that made you feel dirty no matter how well groomed you were. Helga ignored the unsettling vibe and wandered into the doctor's office to take a seat all the while eyeing the medical equipment suspiciously. The doctor beamed as he followed suite and lowered into his chair to face the young adolescent enthusiastically. For someone who had to stare at blinding white walls all day, he certainly seemed happy.

"Don't be so cautious, heh. I am quite a friendly man. Here, some candy should calm your nerves." He chuckled as he held out a dish filled with crème toffees to Helga which she took a handful of without question. "My name is Doctor Brown or you can call me Zak. It has been documented that you are having some troubles controlling your temper at school and around your home, Helga. Is this true?"

The blonde sighed as she chewed absentmindedly on a toffee, its sweet filling only stalling the inevitable. She drummed her fingers across her cheek as her eyes gazed into nowhere in particular, the impervious stare remaining upon her blossoming features.

"I thought I was coming here to get a prescription and get the hell out, not talk about my life's hardships, Doc." She pushed her hand into her jumper and extracted the permission forms, waving it in front of him impatiently with a hint of unease. She disliked opening up to people and having to do it several times to several parties was becoming tedious as well as embarrassing. "I got the permissions slips from my parents right here. So sign me up and hand the prescription over so I can finally get my treatment. I'm just sick and tired of explaining every single detail to every curious spectator to my private quarrels." Doctor Brown studied the permission slip as he observed the fiery young girl from over the top of the papers.

"You really don't mess around, do you? Hmm…very well, I'll just write up your prescription. Then you can go out and you won't have to deal with anyone else trying to pry into your private life." Helga felt relieved as the doctor turned to his desk and began filling out the prescription order. It made her days go by a lot faster when people were compliant and understanding to her requests…better than those snot-nosed brats at PS 118 who practically lived and breathed school yard drama.

She took another crème toffee and began to unwrap it with reckless abandon, its caramel filling oozing out upon its release. Perhaps letting Dr Brown know a little about what was going on wouldn't hurt after all.

"You're not so bad for a white coat, you know? Funny how you meet a complete stranger and they respect you more than the Principal that suspends you even though he's known you practically since knee height." She let out a soft scoff as she rolled the toffee between her teeth. "I don't have a choice in the matter when it comes to taking the medication either. It's either taking meds or expulsion and end up in the queue for public education, and I don't think my family will move simply because of my failure to control myself." She rolled the toffee across her tongue as her lips smacked loudly together, testing to see if she could irritate the doctor's countenance. However, he simply listened and nodded as he filled out the forms, not in the least bothered.

"You're not failing, Helga. Puberty is a confusing and difficult time for everyone. For some, it's more difficult than others," The doctor replied before licking the ball of his pen to continue running it across paper. "I went through puberty with the worst acne imaginable. It got so bad that my first kiss landed in disaster." Helga paused from undoing the wrapping on her third toffee as the doctor's inviting chuckles filled the air, spurning her curiosity.

"So what happened? Slipped the tongue too soon? Ended up poking her in the eye with your hair? Found out that she didn't like-you like you but only liked you?" Helga shifted forward slightly in her chair as Dr Brown turned around and handed her the prescription.

"No. My acne was so deep in the pores of my skin that sometimes it became explosive. When I got my first girlfriend at fifteen, it was always on my mind that my pimples were going to ruin everything. I worried a lot and would scrub at my skin for hours until it became raw…but in the end, nothing worked so I just left it as it was. Remind you, this was back in the day that acne treatment wasn't very developed and whatever was on the market was very expensive…anyway, where was I? His gaze deepened at the memory and caused the dimples in his cheeks to deepen. " I finally got the courage and invited her to the school dance. We swayed together long into the night and I was determined to give her a night to remember despite my own insecurities. All went well until I leant in to kiss her on the last dance. My nose… brushed against hers rather hard and it caused the pimples on my nose to explode pus right onto her face. It was…the most disgusting thing I had ever done to a girl." Helga cringed visibly but couldn't help smirking at the rather revolting and embarrassing experience. It was barely a few seconds into the confession before she burst into a fit of laughter, her chest heaving wildly and small beads of tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.

"Criminy, doc! That's the best embarrassing story I've heard yet! I mean, I've heard of mishaps before but boy, this one takes the cake! Ahahaha!" She wiped the corner of her eyelashes as her chest continued to tremble, her voice cracking from the obnoxious fun-making so much that it was becoming difficult to breathe. After several long seconds of strained cackling, Helga finally found it in her power to cease, allowing the doctor to continue on with his story from hell. "So…what happened to your date? Did she slap you or did she just run off screaming only never to be seen or heard from ever again?"

Doctor Brown offered a smug grin in return though the averted pupils in his eyes betrayed his discomfort. "She…ran away. I felt terrible but since no one was nearby, no one knew exactly what went wrong. They only guessed I had upset her or ended up dumping her right then and there. Naturally, I ran after her and found her washing her face in one of the drinking fountains. I apologised…I said sorry at least a thousand times but instead of being angry, she apologised instead. She didn't realise she had left me practically standing on the dance floor by myself. In the end, despite my carelessness and the accident, she forgave me. I had never met such a selfless and caring person in all my life. A few weeks later, she ended up helping me find new ways to care for my condition without resorting to expensive pharmaceutical products. However, and by some cruel twist of fate, a year later she ended up developing acne as well. We helped each other, both through the good times and the bad, but mostly during those moments of low self-esteem and during the times when our classmates would make fun of us and call us 'crater faces'. I now call her my wife and even though we both have these scars…" He pointed to the dimples in his cheeks which were quickly realised to be deep acne scars. "We both triumphed over the bullying and the self-esteem issues together. Basically what I am saying is, Helga, we all go through hardships when puberty arises. You are clearly early to develop these issues but do not think you are alone. Eventually, some of your classmates will begin to go through the same issues as you and maybe when their time comes, instead of bullying them as they did to you, offer them some guidance. You might be surprised by how they will react and they will eventually end up asking for your forgiveness. Understanding and tolerance goes a long way…"

Helga rolled her eyes and accompanied it with a soft smirk even though part of her couldn't help but be touched by the romantic story. She stood up from her chair and stuffed the prescription into her jumper before diving a hand into the toffee bowl to collect another handful for the journey back home.

"Yeah it's touching alright. Just don't think I'll be getting all mushy on you for telling me about how you ended up overcoming your problems. I might as well get going and get this medicine though. The sooner I start the better right? After all, I guess I'll have to start taking it before I go to school so I know if I'll get any weird side effects." She gave the doctor a stiff wave with her hand as she turned toward the door. However the doctor interrupted her with a cough, one that caused her knees to lock in place.

"Before you go Miss Pataki, you must know that the medication you'll be going on was only recently opened into the market. We're not fully aware of the potential side effects but those that are currently documented are drowsiness, muscle weakness, constipation and blurred vision. You must stop the dosage immediately if you have these symptoms occurring more often than the notified amount or if you get anything else happening to you," Doctor Brown brought his fingers on both hands to connect together at their tips as he gave the young girl the first serious gaze since their first meeting. "I cannot emphasis how important it is that you tell someone if you start getting any bad reactions, okay? Even if they are not severe, you must make sure that you tell someone and stop your dosage." His voice hung in the air as he waited for her response, his brown eyes filled with wary concern. Helga knew that there would be some natural consequence to taking medicine, especially one deemed as influential as this one, but if it meant her keeping herself in school then was it truly worth it? She gave pause to consider the situation for a brief second before validating his warning with a hearty salute.

"Don't worry, Doc. I'll make sure it will be kept all under control. If anything bad happens or turns up I'll stop the treatment and inform my teachers straight away. Oh, and thanks for the toffees!" Doctor Brown could only watch as Helga gave a light wave and walked out of his office, and his expression turning to one of concern as he draped his fingers over his leather chair to gaze toward his computer monitor. '_I certainly hope so..._' He thought to himself as his eyes scanned the image of a newly developed hybrid pill that seemed to hold so much promise for the industry. Little did Helga know that the pills effects would eventually lead to events that would change her life and not necessarily for the better.


End file.
